Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/70

SQUIRREL 44 STAEL-HOLSTEIN" SQUIRREL MONKEY, the Callithrix sciureue, from South America. It is about 10 inches long, with a tail half as KAIBAB SQUIRREL much again; fur olive-gray on the body, limbs red, muzzle dark. They are affectionate and playful in disposition. SRINAGAR, a city and capital of the State of Kashmir, in the Western Him- alayas, situated in the valley of Kashmir, on both banks of the Jehlum. The city extends along the river for about 2 miles, and is exceedingly picturesque, though on nearer appi'oach the streets are found to be narrow and dirty. The Jama Masjid, a large mosque said to be capable of containing 60,000 persons, is situated in the city, and in the environs are beautiful gardens and the lake men- tioned in Moore's "Lalla Rookh." Srinagar has manufactures of shawls, paper, leather, firearms, otto of roses, etc. Pop. about 130,000. STAAL, MARGUERITE JEANNE, BARONESS DE, a French author; born in Paris, May 30, 1684, the daughter of a poor painter named Cordier, whose name she dropped for that of her mother, Delaunay. She had a sound education at the convent of Saint Louis at Rouen, and at 27 was attached to the person of the imperious and in- triguing Duchesse de Maine at the little court of Sceaux. Her devotion to the interests of the duchesse brought her two years in the Bastille, where she had a love affair with the Chevalier de Menil. In 1735 she married Baron de Staal, an officer of the Guard. Her "Memoires" (4 vols. 1755), show in- tellect and observation, as well as re- markable mastery of subtle irony, and are written in a style clear, firm, and individual. Her "Complete Works" ap- peared at Paris in two volumes in 1821. She died in Paris, June 16, 1750. STACPOOLE, HENRY DE VERB STACPOOLE, a British writer and publicist. He was educated at Malvern College, and studied medicine at St. George's and St. Mary's hospitals. He practiced for some time as a doctor and was first drawn towards literature by the works of Carlyle and the German metaphysicians and poets. His works include: "Social Comedy"; "The Bour- geois"; "Fanny Lambert"; "The Doc- tor"; "The Pearl Fishers"; "The North Sea and Other Poems"; "The Beach of Dreams." His works have been trans- lated into other languages and he has written much for the magazines. STADIUM, in Greek antiquities, a measure of 125 geometrical paces or 625 Roman feet, 606 feet 9 inches of English measure, and thus somewhat less than an English furlong. It was the prin- cipal Greek measure of length. Also the course for foot races at Olympia in Greece, and elsewhere. It was exactly a stadium in length. The name is also applied to amphitheaters* and college athletic fields, as the Harvard Stadium, and the Palmer Stadium at Princeton. STADTHOLDER, a title given in the Netherlands to a governor of a province who was also commander-in-chief of the forces. This title, however, received its special significance in 1580, when the provinces of Holland and Zealand re- volted against the authority of Spain, and unitedly accepted William, Prince of Orange, as their stadtholder. The pi'ince was assassinated before he was formally invested with his office, but the title was conferred on his son. Prince Maurice, and remained as the hereditary title of the chief of the state till Holland was annexed by France in 1802. This title was finally dropped in 1814, when the Prince of Orange was recalled from England and declared King of the Netherlands by an assembly of notables. See Netherlands. STAEL-HOLSTEIN, ANNE LOUISE GERMAINE, BARONESS DE, a French author; born in Paris, April 22, 1766, where her father, M. Necker, afterward the celebrated minister of France, was then a banker's clerk. At the age of 20 she became the wife of Baron De Stael- Holstein, the Swedish ambassador at Paris. At first sanguine in the cause of the Revolution, she soon became warmly interested in the sufferings of its victims, especially the queen, whom she had the courage to defend in print. In 1800 she began the series of her works on speculative philosophy, by publishing her essay "Literature Considered in its